No first day blues .. First day at school is a bit scary. Most children cry and creep reluctantly towards the school, unwilling to let go their doting parents. Some have to be dragged and some literally pushed into the outstretched hands of school ayahs and teachers.

It was a different scenario altogether with Khadija's first day at Success The School. No sobbing, no clutching to mother or father and no heel digging. She was all smiles and stepped happily into the 

school premises. As she climbed up to the first floor she threw a smile and waved her hand at us. In fact she was looking forward to this big day for many days. She was disappointed when opening of her UKG class was postponed twice from June 13 to 27. The previous night she went shopping for her school tiffin box, water bottle and shoes. Uniform will be supplied by school but it is not ready yet, we are told. Last one week has been a flurry of activity with Khadija getting ready with her school bag and books. She was ecstatic seeing her books getting covers and name stickers. Khadija was not a bundle of nerves as most kids are on the first day. On the contrary she was counting the days for her school reopening rather opening in her case.

A pleasant surprise for all of us. To share her excitement, I along with Arshad, were at the school at 8.06 a.m. I liked the school at the first sight. It is a 5-storeyed brand new building with well decorated reception and class rooms. Khadija came with Nikhat and Darwesh at the right time, 8.30 a.m. Her grandmother also joined later. We decided to be there as the first day is more important than the Graduation Day. The timings are 8.30 am to 11 am for the first two days. Time to rise Time for school Open your eyes Khadija was woken up around 7 am in the morning today. Her dress had been pressed and bag packed last night itself. In fact for the last one week it has been early to bed and early to rise - to get her adjusted to the new life cycle.

After initial refusal parents were later allowed to see the classrooms. We found Khadija sharing the bench with two other kids. She was cool and composed. But seeing other children crying, she also started sobbing. Nikhat and Darwesh rushed to her side and comforted her. Then she took out her notebook and started writing. Myself and Arshad left after a while but Nikhat stayed till 11 a.m when Khadija's class was let off. Khadija regained her composure after sometime. She even recited the 'Johnny Johnny' rhyme. Overall she is happy with her first day at school. The countdown has just begun for the start of something new in life. Education, as Yeats said, is not filling of a pail but lighting of a fire. So have an exciting time ahead. Believe in yourself my princess. Have a blast. Never stop learning.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Dated June 27,2022

 

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 What’s funny about doctors? If you do a double take at this question, it’s understandable. Doctors are a dour bore lot. There is nothing funny about them, although they routinely prescribe laughter as the best medicine. But one thing is for sure. There is no dearth of amusing jokes about them. Sample this: A worried patient tells the doctor about his legs breaking in two places. And pat comes the reply – quit going to those places.

But why that grim expression on the face? The reason perhaps could be that they are busy taking care of someone else’s life. Whatever – one don’t have to be serious all the time. A bit of humour thrown into the doctor-patient communication can have a positive impact. It will relieve stress while establishing trust. For that a doctor doesn’t have to put a red clown nose. Infusing humour in treatment will do a world of good and may sometimes change the clinical outcome as well.

There are quite a few doctors who employ humour as a strategy as they think it has a big part in patient recovery. But there are very few of them who are humour writers as well. Dr. Abid Moiz, who wields the stethoscope and also pen with equal felicity, has come up with a book in Urdu which tells about doctors who have made a mark in humour and satire writing.

The book titled – Hansi, Tanzo Mizah Aur Doctor – is a real eye-opener. It tells how humour results in laughter and laughter leads to happiness and together they provide immense benefits. Moiz, who has written ten mizahiya (humorous ) books, draws a fine line between tanz (satire) and mizah (humour). “While one tickles, the other prickles”, he says.

But in Urdu literature both are used simultaneously. Writers ensure that mizah takes the sting out of tanz. But the present stressed-filled life has robbed people of their sense of humour also. Social media posts show how people simply mention LOL (laugh out loud) at the end of a joke or funny write-up instead of having a hearty laughter.

While half of the book consists of humorous articles written by Moiz, the other half has the writings of doctors from across the sub-continent. There are funny write-ups of 16 doctors of different disciplines. Some of them are: Taher Quraishi, Iqbal Hashmani, Syed Abdul Mannan, Shafiqur Rahman, Mirza Kaleemullah Baig, Afsar Armoori, Rashid Fareedi, Mohsin Maghyana, Abid Ali, Mohd Younus Bhut, Mansoor Ahmed Bawaja, Yousuf Samra, Mohd Khalid Abdul Samee, Nazr Imam and Mohd Mohsin.

Most of the doctor-writers have narrated the experiences they have had during the course of their practice, dealing with patients of different age groups and temperament while some have tried their hand at totally different subjects. Some doctors take recourse to humour while discussing medical conditions, treatment and tests. They try to see everything from a humorous point of view, even the way the patients relate their ailments. Dr. Abdul Manan’s article ‘Naaz Uthane Ko Hum Rahgaye Mareezon Ke’ makes for a good read. So is the article of Younus Bhat – Buzrug Paalna. They incorporate humour into their personal anecdotes and infuse comedy in every line.

Dr. Moiz deserves congratulations for bringing out the hidden talent of doctors. Otherwise one tends to believe that the health care providers are good at writing mere prescriptions which none can read.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in Telangana Today

Dated July 01,2022

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